>I caught a swarm a couple weeks ago and started feeding it syrup with a        
>division board feeder. They were taking the syrup real fast and making         
>nice white comb just like a swarm.                                             
>                                                                               
>When I went to fill the feeder again there were many bees at the bottom of     
>the feeder licking the remaining syrup up.  I poured the syrup on top of       
>them expecting them to float or crawl to the top. Most of them did just        
>that.                                                                          
>                                                                               
>Ispent at least 2 minutes looking for eggs etc., and before closing the        
>hive looked in the feeder. There were still some bees crawling on the          
>screened sides of the feeder fully submerged walking up and down the           
>screen in a very undistressed manner.                                          
>                                                                               
>Can a bee hold its breath? Or had an air bubble formed over each spiracle?     
>How did they do that?                                                          
>                                                                               
>Eventually they came to the top and went about their business.                 
>                                                                               
>Ann Dougherty                                                                  
>Kirkland, WA. usa                                                              
>                                                                               
Hi Ann,                                                                         
                                                                                
        Bees are an insect or in scientific terms an invertebrate, their        
breathing system is similar to a crabs. As you are aware a crab can stay        
under water and sand. Therefore bees can for a time also stay under water,      
but eventually their internal food supply is affected and they die. ( So yes    
they can scuba dive).                                                           
Thanks from :                                                                   
                        [log in to unmask]                                    
                 http://www.eastend.com.au/~goble                               
            [log in to unmask] ( David Goble )                         
           American Beach Kangaroo Island South Australia